Home Automation Week in Review

Report Type: 
Week In Review
Overview

Eufy Introduces Several New Outdoor Cameras

Anker’s Eufy security camera portfolio is now larger by several – all with some common features including 8GB of onboard storage to eliminate the reliance on cloud storage. The Floodlight Cam 2 Pro has 2K resolution and three white color tunable LED floodlights, and needs to be hardwired for power. The SoloCam L20 Spotlight is a hardwired 1080p camera with full color night vision, while the SoloCam L40 Spotlight upgrades to 2K resolution. Both have 360-degree pan/tilt and can distinguish between people and other moving objects (pets, etc.). For battery-powered options, there is the SoloCam 1080p Essential (model E20, $100) and 2K Essential upgrade (model E40, $130), the SoloCam Spotlight 1080p (model L20, $150) and 2K upgrade (model L40, $170), and finally..the SoloCam S40 Solar with solar panel, 2K resolution, and LED spotlight for $200. All cameras should be available in the June-August timeframe.

The NPD Take:

  • The onboard storage is sure to appeal to consumers who don’t want to deal with (or pay for) cloud storage…though it certainly is not enough to save 24/7 continuous recording. How many consumers are aware of Eufy’s recent privacy breach (thanks to a software bug introduced during a server update) and the potential impact on future sales remains to be seen.

Samsung Releases New SmartThings App

Samsung has released the next generation of SmartThings, with what the company says includes a simpler user experience with a new interface and faster load times. The app now has five different sections: Favorites is the new home screen which gathers devices, scenes and services used for quicker access; Devices lets users view and control all devices (bulbs, TVs, appliances, etc.); Automations connects devices and allows them to respond to specific conditions; Life is a section for discovery of new experiences such as SmartThings Cooking; and Menu houses additional SmartThings features such as settings and notifications.

The NPD Take:

  • Samsung is planning to integrate Matter into the SmartThings ecosystem, which is great news for current SmartThings users. However, the future growth opportunity for SmartThings could be tenuous, given Matter’s core mission to simplify the smart home experience – and not to mention, the popularity of smart home control via Alexa and Google Assistant living on smart speakers and displays.  
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